Just Simple Folklore
by law-chan23
Summary: Au-ish. Kaname/Zero. T for mature themes. This is my first VK fic, yay! Zero believed vampires all to be just simple folklore... that is until he meets Kaname.
1. Encounter Pilot

**AN: **Hello! It's been awhile, but I've decided that 'Moulin Rouge!' will be put up for adoption. Sorry everyone! But in exchange I've started writing this!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own it!

**Pairing: **Kaname/Zero

--

Vampire

_(Folklore) a corpse that rises at night to drink the blood of the living._

_An Eastern European creature popularized in England by late 19__th__ century gothic novels. However, there are scattered England accounts of night-walking, blood-gorged, plague-spreading un-dead corpses from as far back as 1196. _

--

Zero woke yet again to a dark room, only the dull moonlight filtering in through his window a source of light. He let a breath out slowly and closed his eyes again, determined to at least catch a few decent 'z's before day break. Zero rolled over onto his side. No matter which way he turned, rolled, flipped or shifted, nothing felt comfortable as he lay sweaty, hot and restless. Finally deciding to give up on sleep for another night, Zero propped himself into a sitting position and dangled his legs over the side of the bed, shivering as his feet brushed the ice cold floor beneath him. It hadn't been long since he'd started attending university, and the dorm room still felt fairly new to Zero, thus making him uneasy. Ever since he was a child, the mythology ace had found it near impossible to fall asleep somewhere he wasn't used to, thus sparking his nightly walks through the grounds.

Zero slid off the bed and tried not to wake his roommate across the room as he pulled on a white button up shirt, jeans and shoes. Running a pale hand through his silver hair, he made for the door, stopping dead in his tracks as he heard his roommate shift position.

"Where the hell are you going…?"

The voice was slurred and on the dull side as Zero turned to face the white mound. "Sorry I woke you. I'm just going out for a bit."

A sleepy face popped out from the mound and yawned. "Tch…. Again? What's so interesting this late at night? Got a girlfriend you wanna meet or something? Don't think I haven't noticed you dozing off in class…."

Zero smirked before heading for the door again. His roommate would be asleep again in a matter of seconds and Zero wouldn't be bothered. Still, the guy was pretty lazy anyway and Zero doubted that he'd pursue him. The mythology student continued on his path out the dorm and took his time walking down the corridor and stairs, pausing every now and then to stare blankly at some graffiti on the wall or to simply breathe and calm his senses down. Zero pushed the door open to the courtyard and spotted a lone man standing in the very center of it. Odd, Zero thought, but ultimately pushing it to the back of his mind.

The man turned around, blood smeared all over his mouth.

Zero stumbled backwards in fright. W-What the hell? "H-Hey, you!"

The brunette was quick, sweeping forward like a shadow, pulling Zero to him gently.

"Let go!" Zero demanded, pushing his hands against the man's chest roughly. "Go away. Don't touch me!" God he hoped somebody had heard….

The brunette tilted Zero's chin up to his face and stared intensely into lilac eyes. The mythology student immediately slackened in the man's arms, seemingly giving up his protests, albeit unwillingly. "You talk to no one of this, understood? You do, and see that I kill you."

**law-chan23**

**Reviews would be AWESOME!!**


	2. After Effects

**AN: **Hey guys! This has got to be one of the quickest updates I've ever made! Enjoy :)

* * *

--

_Only pureblood vampires are able to turn a human into a vampire._

_--_

Zero cracked an eye open and was met with a near blinding light, he screwed his eye shut again and groaned throatily. God, what did he _do _last night? His head hurt like hell and he felt nauseas. Speaking of which…

The student upped and ran to the bathroom.

"Oi, what's up with you? Get pissed last night?" Zero's roommate asked, wiping his nose whilst gathering his books for the day.

Zero retched whatever contents of his stomach remained into the toilet, after which he wiped his mouth and planned to make a snide remark to his roommate, but thinking of none he leaned over the rim of the toilet and choked up the bits that had 'failed to show up' before. Zero took a shaky breath in. Damn it, what happened last night? He remembered finishing his classes for the day and going straight back home to eat, shower and sleep, but everything else just… wasn't there. He didn't remember waking up or going anywhere, so maybe it was something he ate…

"You alright?"

Zero felt a hand on his shoulder and shivered suddenly. What was happening to him? He coughed a little and then turned to his roommate, he needn't worry the guy, this would all blow over soon enough. "Just leave me alone," Zero demanded coldly, brushing away the other boy's comforting touch. "I'm fine."

The other student shrugged, he was used to the cold shoulder Zero gave and he'd be damned to hell to let it get to him. Zero was an anti-social bastard who seemed to enjoy pushing people away, and he'd given up long ago in trying to break the silver haired boy out from his bolted, steel plated, chained shell. It was a job that no human being on Earth could accomplish he added in conclusion. He walked out of the bathroom and picked up his books, not stopping to wait for a reply from his roommate as he went out the door.

Zero's knuckles were white from gripping the toilet seat and there was perspiration sliding down his face from his discomfort, in short: he looked a mess. Zero sat on the floor with a thud and massaged his temples, debating whether or not to attend class.

--

"You're pursuing residence in that dorm quite vigorously, Kuran-san. Why is that?" The chairman said, a thoughtful expression on his face as he leant back in his desk chair. Though it was a pleasure having _the _Kaname Kuran in his office, the issue that he presented itself was quite… odd.

The brunette sighed before folding his arms and beginning his reply. "The boy who lives there now: Kiriyuu Zero, has seen me in a rather… exposed state. That's why I need to watch over him carefully, because as you know, the charm I've used on him is only temporary and he'll eventually regain his memories back."

The chairman huffed resignedly.

Kaname bowed lightly. "I'm sorry for all the fuss I must be putting you through, but if my identity were to be discovered as well as the others', we will all be at risk of going back into the dark."

"Of course. Well then, I'll make the arrangements for the swap," the chairman said eagerly, whipping out a pile of papers and grabbing the old fashioned phone off the receiver which was sitting on top of his desk. "I'll inform you when all is cleared, Kaname-kun."

Kaname bowed again, "Thank you very much, chairman Cross."

--

Kuran Yuuki was pacing back and forth outside chairman Cross' office quickly, waiting for her brother to emerge. He'd been so careless biting that stranger without proper restraint and returning to the school without so much as wiping the drying blood from his mouth! It was no wonder that someone had seen him; it was his entire fault and he deserved rightful punishment. The door opened to office and Kaname appeared, a gentle smile gracing his lips as he closed the heavy wooden door behind him. Yuuki rushed to him, hands firmly on her hips.

"So, what happened? Did you come to an agreement about that boy who saw you?"

"Yuuki…," Kaname breathed huskily into her ear as she blushed in response, "…you worry far too much."

Yuuki deadpanned; her blush wiping clean from her face. "Kaname!"

Kaname slid one arm around Yuuki's shoulder and walked her down the corridor. "It will all be fine. Chairman Cross is arranging for me to move into the boy's room to watch over him. No need to worry at all."

Yuuki sighed, relieved from her fretting at last, but a sudden feeling of dread reassumed its place in the pit of her stomach, "But what if he says anything…?"

"We can always excuse it as a simple rumour."

"What if he finds any evidence to back his accusation up?"

"We dispose of it and then kill him."

"But won't it look suspicious if he dies right after making a claim?"

Kaname stopped walking and tilted Yuuki's chin up so she could look into his eyes. "Yuuki, what have I told you about worrying so much? I can't have my girl all worked up for nothing, now can I?"

Yuuki's blush returned. "K-Kaname!"

--

Zero rolled over onto his side, his nausea had finally passed, but his damned headache still remained. The door to the dorm opened, forcing Zero to open his eyes.

"I missed you at class today. Thought I might drop by and tell you what chapters to summarize by next class."

"Touga-sensei," Zero remarked, a little surprised to see his university teacher. He sat up but immediately regretted the notion as his vision began to swim and his stomach started to turn. "…Crap," he muttered before slumping back down onto the sheets. "I don't feel too good…."

"So it seems," Touga said firmly as he sat on the edge of Zero's bed. "Have you got a fever?"

"I'm not sure."

Touga leaned towards Zero and placed the back of his hand against the mythology student's forehead gently. "Hmm. Well, you do, so see that you take some medicine and drink plenty of water. I won't stand for you missing another lesson."

"Yes, sensei, sorry…," Zero trailed off as he closed his eyes.

Touga stood up. "I think I should leave now, I'll write down the chapters you need to read for you and then I'll go, okay?"

Zero nodded weakly, his limbs feeling like heavy weights when he moved. When he finally heard the final scribble on his notepad and the click of the door closing behind Touga, Zero allowed himself to relax, slipping in and out of consciousness when need be.

-

_Zero pushed the door open to the courtyard and spotted a lone man standing in the very center of it. Odd, Zero thought, but ultimately pushing it to the back of his mind. _

_The man turned around, blood smeared all over his mouth. _

-

Zero's eyes snapped open to a dark room, panting and sweating like he had that night….

"You're awake," a deep voice said from across the room.

"W-Who are you?" Zero asked feebly, blinking his eyes to try and get used to the lack of light in the room. "What are you doing here?"

"Although it is usually custom to introduce oneself before asking for the identity of the other, I shall let it go, my name is Kaname Kuran, and for reasons unknown, we are now roommates."

**law-chan23**

**Reviews are AWESOME!! It let's me know people are actually enjoying or hating this!**


	3. Bloodlust

**setsuko teshiba**

Have done! (Just not so much the 'soon' part, sorry!)

**RandomChibiDemon-chan**

Thank you for the support!

**yosuiko**

Thanks so much

**lightpathetic**

Ha ha ha! Yes… sharing a room will be eventful.

**mesmerizedbyceruleaneyes**

Thanks for the review  Yuuki has a purpose, I like to have a few different storylines… besides I've kind of caught the Yuuki bug at the moment, heheh.

**Lekta**

Thank you!

**simply anonymous**

I've been getting that writing comment a lot… _falls over from over-sized head._

Thanks for your review!

**RedemptionErased**

Will do!

**YenGirl**

Ah, yes… the _possibilities… _thanks for the review!

**oztan**

Thank you, happiness all around 

**Cherry Renaissance**

Thank you!

**takara94**

Yep, Kaname x Zero for life! Yes, Yuuki and Kaname have a very close sibling relationship… thanks for the review!

**xxsmilesRayrayxx**

I love hearing from you! Thank you so much  _Loves_

**Chapter dedicated to xxsmilesRayrayxx luv ya darl!**

--

_There is such a thing called a 'blood bond' which is sometimes used between vampires.__ Not much is known about this, but it is said that the bond entwines the two vampires for eternity._

--

Zero's head was thumping madly as he struggled to keep his eyes open, his nausea had passed but it had left him with aching limbs to deal with instead. Zero squinted his eyes, trying to merge all three images of the dark figure into one.

"What is your name?" Kaname asked, his face bereft of any emotion. He crossed one leg over the other and ran a hand through his silky hair; the very picture of arrogance in Zero's opinion. Whatever familiarity Zero had felt only moments ago about the guy suddenly vanished, leaving only a dull nagging feeling at the back of his head.

Zero moaned quietly and slumped back onto the mattress. He was _not _in the mood for twenty questions. "Just…leave me alone…."

_How rude, _Kaname thought, his right brow furrowing in mild distaste at his roommate's social etiquette. Fine then, he thought. If Kiriyuu was going to be socially constipated towards him, then Kaname would accept that treat him with the same respect. All he had to do was watch over him anyway. Such a task did not require any form of relationship between the two of them. (1)

"Very well then. I have classes anyway," Kaname said simply, standing up to gather his books.

The mythology student rolled onto his side and curled into a ball, quite intent on ignoring his new roommate as he moved around the room before going out the door and to his classes.

…Wait.

Classes?

Now?

At night?

Suddenly Zero's stomach did a flip flop and he forgot what he'd been thinking about. Nope… the nausea was still within his system. Zero's eyes opened and he smacked a hand over his mouth. Oh yes, nausea _definitely_ still in his system. The student flew out of bed and made a beeline for the bathroom.

--

Kaname closed the door gently. "Hello, Yuuki," he greeted his younger sister who was swiftly approaching him from behind.

"Aw, nothing takes you by surprise, does it, Kaname?" Yuuki beamed at her brother as he turned to smile warmly at her.

Kaname ruffled the top of Yuuki's hair playfully. "How did you sleep?" he asked, linking his arm with Yuuki's to walk her to class.

"Yes, okay. Oh yeah, tell me, how did it go with that boy?" Yuuki inquired interestedly. "Is he any trouble to us?"

Kaname frowned. "Perhaps, but I have to find that out for certain first."

Yuuki stopped walking and faced her brother, a worried look adorning her delicate features. "Does he remember anything from that night? Because if he does…"

"No. I don't believe he remembers, or else he would have recognized me," Kaname explained. He lightly cupped one of his sister's cheeks in his hand. "Yuuki, there's no reason for you to get involved, I'll take care of it. You have my word, so please stop worrying. You'll get wrinkles."

"But Kaname-"

"No buts," Kaname said with a hint of finality to the matter. He slid a comforting arm around his sister and led her down the corridor. "I have it all under control, Yuuki. Trust me."

Yuuki sighed warily. She decided on giving up the fight, she didn't want her brother thinking she didn't trust him. Still, it pulled at her emotions that something could quite possibly go wrong. "Just tell me if anything happens or you need help with something, okay?"

Kaname waved the offer in a dismissive manner. "Yes, yes. I promise," he said, and upon realizing something, he let Yuuki go and gently nudged her in the direction of the lecture room. "Go in ahead. I'll be there shortly."

"Huh? But classes are just about to start; you'll be late," Yuuki protested. Surely Kaname could take care of his business later.

Kaname who had turned to leave didn't turn back, and instead muttered the words, "I forgot a book."

--

After cleaning his mouth a few extra times, Zero walked back into the room, if a bit unsteady. "…Crap," he murmured before stumbling forwards against the dining table. In a last act of desperation, the student attempted to grab hold of something to stop himself from falling, but instead he grabbed a lone book that was sitting on the table; pulling it off the table with him. "_Crap!"_

Damn it. When had he even put that book there? Zero glanced at the book grasped tightly in his hand. In fact, he didn't even remember putting a book there. He read the title.

'Bloodlust'

"…What the?"

This definitely wasn't one of his books. _Bloodlust, bloodlust, bloodlust… _Vampires? Zero hadn't heard or seen of such a book, and even if there was such a book, he'd raided the library many times in the 'Mythology' section and never once seen this one… it didn't look quite new either, judging by the rough state it was in. The student flipped through the book curiously, but as he turned to one particularly interesting page, his finger - which he hadn't noticed bleeding - had smudged the crimson liquid on the browning page. "Damn," he swore, desperately trying to rub the stain off. "Damn!"

The sound of the door opening to the dorm room made Zero freeze.

_Damn…._

--

Kaname _never _forgot anything. He wasn't one to make many mistakes, so how could this have happened? Damn. Such an inconvenience… Kaname opened the door and was immediately hit with an _intoxicating _smell. He'd forever know that smell _anywhere…_

…Blood.

**POLL**

**SHOULD THERE BE LEMON??**

**YES OR NO**


	4. Eyes and Ears

**A/N: **_Flail!!! _Okay, last chapter I asked whether or not there should be lemon, right? Eheh… heh. I didn't actually mean for this chapter! I meant later on. God I'm such a twit. I'm so sorry everyone. But I do promise that there will be lemon. Later in the story. Much later. Once Kame-chan and Zero start liking each other. …Did I mention there's going to be lemon?

**Disclaimer: **I don't own this anime/manga, I only own this plot!

**Ratings for Chapter: **T, a bit of shonan-ai-ish stuff and language.

* * *

**Just Simple Folklore**

Written by law-chan23

--

_All vampires have a keen sense of hearing and sight._

_--_

Zero scrambled onto his feet and placed the book back onto the table. _Shit. _Blindly, the mythology student grabbed for something to support him as the room suddenly began to spin in front of his eyes. He'd gotten up way too fast….

Kaname was frozen in the doorway by the shear scent of his desire. It smelt so good. The student kicked himself mentally. He couldn't afford to be careless, not now. Not ever again. He was putting the rest of the clan at risk. But oh _god_, it was so hard. Kaname wanted so dearly to press his fangs into soft skin, feel the break of the flesh and taste the flow of blood… almost automatically, the mere thoughts wrung out Kaname's fangs and he approached the source of the smell without fully realizing. Dropping his books, he walked into the main room with a predatory look in his now, scarlet eyes.

Zero grasped his warming forehead and gasped heavily for breath, uncaring as his roommate entered the room. The guy wasn't going to kill him, honestly…. Zero felt himself lean backwards a little, as if gravity was pulling him down. Before he could fall however, the student grasped the notion he was actually-going-to-fall and stuck one foot back to stop himself. Vaguely he felt a foreign hand touch the side of his neck and Zero slid open one eye. "What… what do you think you're doing?" he asked in a fragile voice. "Kuran…?" He gasped and tumbled back onto his rear with a 'thump'. "V-Vampire," he exclaimed, eyes wide with shock and anticipation. As much as Zero's mind made him believe – somewhat logically – that his roommate was a vampire, he refused to register the fact completely. Red eyes, protruding fangs… all were accounted for, but the mythology student was still astounded; he'd never actually _believed _that vampires existed outside of tales and folklore.

Kaname was aching. His fangs, head, toes and fingers _all_ ached. He glanced down at the quivering human, lilac eyes conveying fear and alarm. Somewhere… somewhere the blood was escaping… and Kaname found that he couldn't control his actions anymore. He took a step forward, the human shuffled backwards a little more, a step forward, an awkward shuffle back, until finally, the human could 'run' no further and he was wedged up against the wall.

"S-Stay away!" Zero shouted as Kaname knelt down before him. "Don't touch me!"

Kaname narrowed his eyes. He hated it when his prey was vocal; it just gave him more problems to deal with. "…Shut up," he murmured, his eyes beginning to roll backwards into his head as he smelt the scent of blood become stronger. He could even feel his nails growing longer each passing moment, but still couldn't find it in himself to stop. Kaname gently pulled Zero's bleeding finger to his mouth, not hesitating to lick the rich substance into his mouth. Kaname nearly moaned in pleasure. It… this… was like pure ecstasy in his system. So good… so delicious… and _completely his _for the taking.

Zero's breathing became ragged when the vampire (?) licked the blood from his finger. Not what he was expecting at all. Then again, Zero's fuzzy mind thought absently, he wasn't exactly expecting his new roommate – Kaname Kuran – to be a vampire either. Hell, Zero shouldn't have been surprised if he'd seen a flying _cat _fly by. "Stop," he hissed, trying to draw his hand away from the vampire. "…The hell, do you think you're doing?"

Kaname caught Zero's finger midway and tugged it into his mouth. The student gasped. Kaname sucked at the soft finger, drawing blood out as his tongue swished around the wound; opening it further to allow easier access for the blood to flow out. He couldn't stop himself even if he wanted to.

"Stop!" Zero yelled, trying to punch the vampire off with his free hand weakly. God, he still felt like shit. The vampire groaned in frustration before dragging Zero up to a standing position. "What are you doing?!"

Loud. _Way too _loud, Kaname thought angrily. He let go of the finger reluctantly and glared into Zero's eyes, as if demanding an explanation for the interruption of his fill before yanking the student's wrists above his head and pinning him to the wall with the expanse of his own body. "I told you to shut up," he said in a dangerous tone.

"L-Let go of me, you bas-"

Zero was silenced with the vampire's lips.

Kaname nicked the student's tongue with one sharp fang and drew it into his mouth; once again tasting the utterly mind blowing flavour of Zero's blood, surrounded by the wetness of their mingling saliva. Kaname pressed closer.

Zero nearly gagged. This guy – this vampire – was drinking his blood via a kiss! He felt so outraged, so _used, _so… lightheaded.

The student who had been struggling, suddenly went lax in Kaname's clutches, even though the pureblood hadn't even drunk that much of his blood. Kaname's eyes dimmed in the deep crimson colour they'd previously been, and he let go of the student's wrists, catching him quickly before he slumped onto the floor in his unconscious state. Guilt and worry filled Kaname's system. Oh god….

--

"Yuuki-sama, where is your brother? I require a report on this week immediately. The elder's are becoming restless."

Yuuki Kuran looked up from her desk with a smile on her face. "He should be here soon, sensei. He said he forgot a book and went to get it." She bowed her head, "I apologize for his lateness."

The teacher standing at the head of the room sighed breathily before seating himself at his desk. "No, that it quite alright, Yuuki-sama. You need not apologize for your sibling's sake."

"Yes, sensei." Yuuki frowned. Where was he? Half an hour had passed and he still hadn't returned. Yuuki deepened her frown. Business. That could have very well been the reason, he was so wrapped up in the family's Blood Medication Trials sometimes she barely saw him. She sighed and rested her head upon her arms.

"…What is that smell?" A student asked suddenly from the back of the room. "It smells so… good."

The teacher frowned. "Control yourself, Aidou-kun. Or will you reveal to us that you bear no shame?"

Aidou flashed his red eyes at the teacher. "…Perhaps I will."

"Don't you dare…," the teacher said warningly.

Yuuki sniffed delicately; curious about the 'good' smell that was slowly wafting into the lecture room. Her eyes widened. There was no denying it. The smell was definitely of blood. And it was _strong._ She noticed others beginning to turn; their red eyes starting to reveal themselves as the scent processed through the keen vampire senses. Yuuki brought her own hand to her eye; wondering idly if her own were beginning to redden. She stood up suddenly, the frown once again adorning her features. "Listen everyone! Please keep calm and control yourselves. If any one of you were to reveal our secret – _or _kill a human, we would be forced back into the dark!"

All eyes lowered in shame.

"So are we perfectly clear on the rules now?" Yuuki asked in a serious tone. "If you are not, please inform us right away so we can take you off the B.M.T."

"I do understand the rules, Yuuki-sama. And for my behaviour, I apologize," Aidou said lowly. He wasn't completely stupid, he knew what it would mean to be taken off the Blood Medication Trials, and he didn't want that result. Ever.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! And as I said in my author notes for 'True Value', I will be repaying you for the misconception in that fic with lots of lemony stuff!!!**

**By the way, isn't everyone proud of me? I'm slowly writing longer chapters! Yay! _/Hero pose/_**

**Reviews are loved!**

**~law-chan23**


	5. Introduction to Vampires

**A/N: **How are you guys? Sorry for the late update, but here it is! I'm not entirely happy with it, and I might re-write this chapter, even, but we'll see how it goes...

**Disclaimer: **I don't own this anime/manga.

**Warnings: **Blood, slight gore and language.

Oh yes, I must add that you should really check out one of the songs off the soundtrack for_ Twilight _it's by the great band Paramore called 'Decode'.

**

* * *

**

Just Simple Folklore

Written by law-chan23

_Introduction to __Vampires_

_Vampires are strictly vicious creatures who do not hesitate to tear their prey into shreds._

_Level E vampires are not conscious beings who know right from wrong, making them far more dangerous._

_Pureblooded vampires are stronger than the usual vampire, but are in fact conscious of 'right and wrong', but whether they follow these rules is a decision each individual pureblood must face. _

_Vampires only thirst for human blood, thus animal blood does not satisfy vampires._

_Humans and vampires must not mix, no matter the circumstances._

--

The teacher glanced at his watch with a frown. "Yuuki-sama, may I suggest that you go look for your brother?"

Yuuki nodded and stood from her desk. "Yes, sensei. I don't know what's taking him so long, I'm so sorry for this delay."

The teacher acknowledged the pureblood with a simple inclination of his head.

Yuuki walked over to the door and opened it, "I'll be back soon," she murmured before disappearing from the entryway.

--

Kaname swept the student in his arms gently; as if he was a fragile treasure, and carried him over to the bed nearest the window. Setting the boy onto the bed, Kaname continued to berate himself mentally. How did he lose his control so easily? He narrowed his eyes. He must have seemed so pitiful, giving into temptation like that…

Kiriyuu Zero stirred from his deep slumber and turned towards Kaname, whimpering quietly.

Kaname's eyes softened. His gaze lingered on the other boy, wandering from his slim belly to his angular hips and relaxed expression on his pale face. Silvery strands of hair tumbled flawlessly from behind his ear and in front of his delicate eyes; shielding them from the vampire's appreciative stare. Kaname leant down with the intention of brushing the strands away, but stopped one nano-millimeter away from the silky looking hair. No. He willed his hand away back to his side and clenched it into a tight fist. He couldn't trust himself with this boy – no, with _another human _ever again. He would not let himself fall prey to commit yet _another _murder in cold blood. And yet… Kaname couldn't let himself _leave_. He was just so content with merely looking at his victim to the point where it was infuriating. Kaname's eyes opened fully when he sensed someone approaching the door – someone familiar. _Oh god. Yuuki…_

--

At vampire speed, Yuuki raced through the many halls and corridors of the university desperately trying to find her delinquent brother. She came to a brief stop at an intersection and made a split decision to go left. Racing off again, she came across the familiar scent of her brother… and the faintest smell of the blood from earlier. Yuuki stopped and honed in on the scents, locating them as best she could. Sensing where her brother was she ran back three dorm rooms and ripped open the door, running inside and closing the door just as quickly behind her. She turned on her heel and was met with the scene of her brother leaning over a form lying on the bed.

"Kaname!"

Her brother, undisturbed by her abrupt entrance simply stood back up straight and smiled that sorrowful smile he had used when he promised to take care of Yuuki by himself when their parents had died those many years ago. "Yuuki," he observed quietly.

Yuuki stared at her brother with wide eyes, completely unsure of what to do or say.

Kaname didn't seem to mind her gaping expression or silence. "Don't worry, Yuuki. I'll have Seiren wipe his memories of this night. It will be alright, I promise."

Yuuki stared in horror at the form on the bed and realized with a gasp that it was indeed, human.

Kaname glided over to his sister and went to hug her, but Yuuki pulled away, as if disgusted.

"N-No. No! It's not going to be _alright, _Kaname! You drank from another human! Now we-_I _have cover this up again!" Yuuki shouted, taking a few steps back from her brother.

"Yuuki, calm down," Kaname said, surprised at her outburst.

"No! Why should I? What are we going to do?!"

Kaname frowned. "_You _are not going to do anything. After Seiren wipes Kiriyuu Zero's memory, I will leave this university."

Yuuki stared at Kaname in disbelief. "What? No! You can't! That means that you'll be off the Blood Medication Trials, that means-"

"I am quite aware of what that means, Yuuki. Please, don't worry, I'll be fine." And with that, Kaname took off out the open window and out into the night.

Yuuki stammered to the unoccupied bed and collapsed on it, a single tear falling from one of her big brown eyes.

--

Eyes the colour of blood…

Sharp fangs protruding from the mouth…

_The man turned around, blood smeared all over his mouth._

…

_The brunette tilted Zero's chin up to his face and stared intensely into lilac eyes. The mythology student immediately slackened in the man's arms, seemingly giving up his protests, albeit unwillingly. "You talk to no one of this, understood? You do, and see that I kill you."_

He remembered. He remembered everything. Kuran Kaname… was a vampire. Zero sprung awake, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"…You're awake," a voice (identified as a girl's) said softly from across the room.

Zero glanced over at the opposite bed, an expression of shock carved into his features. A girl. A girl… what the _hell _was a _girl _doing in his room?! "Y-You…! Why are you here?!"

The girl, dangling her legs over the edge of the bed kept her eyes downcast, a sad frown on her lips. She had long brown hair… the same shade as-

"You know, don't you?" She asked in a gentle yet wary tone.

Zero eyed the girl suspiciously. "About…?"

Her eyes narrowed with new found anger and she looked up. "About my brother – _Kuran Kaname_."

Zero's eyes widened marginally. This was the sister of that vampire, so didn't that mean…? "S-Stay away, vampire!" he shouted fearfully with realization, backing himself against the wall. "Don't get any closer."

The vampire looked disinterested with Zero's pleas. "I'm not here to kill you. Please trust me when I say I have mastered the skill of _restraint_."

Zero couldn't believe it. The vampire was trying to make him believe that she was of no harm! "I'm not an idiot! I-In fact, I'm the top of the mythology department in this school!"

"Then you should know about the Blood Pills, right?"

Zero had neglected that. Still, vampires were considered myths, so then why should he think that vampires were trying to mix with humans? "What is it that you want, vampire?"

"…I want you to protect our secret."

"What?!" Zero was outraged. After what that other vampire did to him? Not a _fucking _chance.

The girl looked pleadingly into Zero's eyes. "I'm deeply sorry about what my brother did to you, but as soon as a vampire wipes the memory of a human, the elders are notified. That could mean the death of my brother."

Zero was utterly and completely confused. Elders? He hadn't read a thing about them… and then it hit him. It was that other vampire who'd wiped his memory!

"He's already messed up once… another mistake could find him, well, in a very bad position. You see, he hasn't taken very well to the pills, one could even say his body was rejecting them, which I thought was impossible."

"Why the _fuck _do you think that I'll help him, or _you_?" Zero demanded, venom dripping from his words.

The vampire looked cut from his question, but proceeded with her answer despite her voice being close to breaking point. "Because without you, we can't survive! My brother is the sole leader of the vampires, and without him, we have no one to place our lives in the protection of. Not to mention if this gets out publicly, we'd be hunted. Please, we are a dying race, please, please, help us."

"What do you mean? Is that bastard gone?!" Zero seethed. That supposed 'vampire king' ran away?

"That _pureblood _vampire is gone, yes. He's sacrificing himself for the sake of us, but what he doesn't know is that without him we will fall."

"…Why should I help you?" Zero asked, avoiding the girl's gaze.

"If you don't, it may mean mass destruction for both vampires _and _humans. The elders were not that keen on trying the drug out – they would have been quite happy to just keep drinking the blood of humans. If this goes out of control, our trials will be scratched and we'll return to… our former selves."

"…So, this pill works then?" Zero asked.

The girl nodded, "Yes, many have been successful, save the obvious one."

Zero sighed as he swung himself onto his feet, no longer suffering from his sickness from earlier and walked to the door, hiding his fear well. "Where is he?"

--

Zero stalked out into the dark streets and glanced around. Where was he? He furrowed his brows, he guessed the guy could have been anywhere by now, considering how fast vampires could be… when he read about them in books, of course. Narrowing his eyes further, he took out his pocket knife from his back pocket and drew a line along the palm of his hand. This should get that idiot's attention… He flipped the blade back into its safe form and slid it back into his pocket, waiting for the vampire to show up. _Any minute now…_

Surely enough, _half _a god damned hour went past with still no sign of the pureblood. Zero frowned with complete infuriation.

"Oi, something smells nice, don't you think?"

Zero idly sent his eyes left and saw three men approaching along the footpath, smug looks on their faces. The other two nodded at the man in front's comment, followed by chuckling.

"I think this is our lucky day, gents," the one in front smirked as he looked at Zero.

Zero realized their intention instantly and reached back into his back pocket for the knife, only to find that it wasn't there anymore. "W-What the?"

Zero felt a presence behind him and he whirled around, coming face to chest with the 'leader' of the small gang.

"Looking for this?" The man asked, holding the knife between his fingers in an expert manner. "You shouldn't be playing with such dangerous trinkets, little boy."

Zero watched as the man drew out the blade and held it against his throat, not hard enough to break skin, but just enough to have Zero cowering back into the other two men behind him who grabbed one of his arms each in response.

"Oi, let go of me, bastards!" he shouted, thrashing in his confines. What the hell were they planning? Murder? Zero weighed his options, which were none. He was held fast and had nowhere to run and no one to call for help to. Damn it, how embarrassing. That stupid, stupid pureblooded vampire.

The leader pressed up close to Zero, his dark eyes slowly transforming into a bright red colour.

"_Fuck_." Zero thrashed about even more furiously, but to no avail. This couldn't be happening. Twice in one _freakin' _night! He watched in horror as fangs descended down the corners of his mouth.

"There's no escaping _me, _boy…."

In a sudden flash of black and brown, two of the men were on the ground, blood spilling from various wounds.

Zero stepped back shakily and fell onto his rear as he watched Kuran Kaname yank his hand out from his last victim. The leader. Blood sprayed from the wound and onto Zero, staining his white shirt. "V-Vampire…."

In a second, Kaname was kneeling in front of the student and asking him if he was okay, droplets of blood from his own bloodied hair falling onto Zero's pale face. The drops slid down the student's face, appearing as though he'd been crying tears of blood…

"Oi, are you okay?" Kaname repeated with increased fervor, worry building up every passing moment Zero remained silent and shaking. Belatedly, he realized he should have shielded Zero's eyes from seeing the horror.

Zero stared unblinkingly at the scene. What had he gotten himself into?

* * *

Hope it wasn't god awful : )

**Reviews are lovely!**

~law-chan23


	6. Elixir

**A/N **Hey everyone! Thanks for being so patient for the next chapter : )

Here it is _finally_!

Hope you enjoy!

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Just Simple Folklore

Written by law-chan23

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_Vampires are not content with just one draw of __blood; blood to vampires is like food and water to human. Thus vampires need to keep consuming blood or they will perish. _

--

"You… you killed – you killed them. You killed them," Zero babbled nonsensically as he stared on at the scene before him. Blood. There was so much blood…

"Kiriyuu. Kiriyuu! Listen to me!" Kaname shook the boy's shoulders. If this were just some joke to frighten the pureblood, it was not funny, but Zero continued babbling in a daze, seemingly lost in his own little world. That itself confirmed that the student wasn't jesting.

"Dead, they're all dead." Zero reached forward and dipped his fingers into the pooling blood.

Kaname snatched Zero's hand, yanking it firmly away from the blood. "Don't touch that."

Zero looked up at Kaname with glazed eyes.

Kaname frowned. What was wrong with him? Surely this hadn't affected him, right? He'd acted like such a tough character in their previous encounters, it was near impossible to even think he could be capable of the behaviour he was displaying at that moment. Kaname squeezed the boy's shoulder, "What's wrong?"

Zero closed his eyes before whispering softly, "_Ichiru_."

Ichiru? "Hey. Kiriyuu? Wake up!" Kaname put his ear to Zero's chest and listened for steady intakes of breath and a heartbeat. He sighed, relieved as he pulled away with evidence that the student was at least still alive. Kaname glanced around, intent on surveying the damage he had caused _this time_. Three were dead and there was blood everywhere. He shrugged mentally, not quite the measure of harm he'd initially thought he'd made, but, at least he could live with the scale of it. Besides, they were probably a slightly lower class than a noble vampire and would be unlikely for them to be missed.

Kaname narrowed his eyes as his daily 'thought' plagued him once more – he'd had it infrequently through the day, and, considering the circumstances it most likely could not be evaded anyway. He looked over to the slumbering student. He had to take him somewhere safe. Kaname gathered Zero into his arms and quickly took off. No doubt there'd be other vampires out there, and Kaname wouldn't have been surprised if they came hunting for the blood they had no doubt _smelt_. At vampire speed, Kaname glided through the town, appearing as a mere blur or a shadow to those wandering in the night.

--

_Zero watched, frozen in horror as his parents were ripped to shreds before him. "S-Stop," he murmured. But She didn't. Zero's attention turned to the kitchen doorway, where his twin brother was standing, a smile donning his lips as She licked the blood from her hands. _

"_Shizuka-sama, don't you think we should leave now? What if people from the council arrive?" His brother said insistently._

_Hio Shizuka turned and smiled at the boy, even as she continued to clean her bloodied hands with her tongue. "Yes. Soon."_

_Zero nearly threw up at the sight of it. Why did she seem to love it so much? It was blood! _

_--_

"…Ichiru…"

Kaname glanced down at the boy. That was the third time now, that he'd said that name. Who was Ichiru? And, what was Ichiru to Zero? Kaname leaped onto the side of the dorm apartment building and quickly calculated which window most likely belonged to he and Zero's room. Targeting the row of windows second from the top, Kaname counted along them until he found what would _hopefully _be the right room.

--

Yuuki breathed in heavily before facing her fears and opening the door to the lecture room. She was instantly met with silence and stares from her fellow vampires.

"Kuran-sama. Where is your brother?" The teacher asked, his face a mask of impatience. It had been a good hour or so now that the pureblooded vampire went searching for her brother.

Yuuki bowed. "Sorry, sensei for taking so long. But…," she hesitated.

The teacher raised a brow. "But…?"

Yuuki rose from her position and smiled awkwardly, covering her true emotions. "Well, he's, he's uh, he's not feeling well at the moment so when I found him I insisted to take care of a few of his needs before I returned to class."

The teacher didn't look fooled. "I see. May I see you after class, Kuran-sama?"

Yuuki swallowed thickly. "Um, yes, of course."

"Very good then, return to your seat," he laced his fingers together and turned back to the class.

"Yes, sensei."

--

"You fucking _bastard_! You're a fucking bastard, do you know that?!" Zero managed to find yet another one of his hardback books that was as thick as three bricks and chuck it at the pureblood.

Kaname promptly ducked the oncoming assault and sighed. "Really? I hadn't heard…." He rubbed at his temples as he felt the beginnings of a migraine starting to gnaw away at his patience. Zero hadn't woken up very happy, quite the opposite, actually. If one had a nickname for him, t'would be 'Mister Grumpy Pants'.

"Don't be a smartass. I know exactly what you were planning to do! You're a fucking coward!" Zero yelled as he again (who knows where he was pulling these out from) got another book and threw it at Kaname, trying desperately for it to hit him square on the head, or face. He found another sitting on his bed and picked it up.

Kaname rolled his eyes. Zero was suicidal, Kaname was sure. First, he presents his blood to a vampire in the midst of bloodlust, second, he presents his blood to _three _vampires – also lusting for blood and third, he insults a pureblooded vampire and throws books at him. Humans were so easy to kill. Such insolence would have definitely rewarded him with death, but Kaname endured, for some reason or another. It was strange, and Kaname wasn't sure if he liked letting this particular human live. Zero seemed to disregard his life constantly, and yet he, Kaname, who appreciated human life far more than his own life couldn't have it. It wasn't fair. Kaname spotted another book in the student's hand, and with a frustrated groan, he approached, restrained and caught the book before it could leave the other boy's hand. Trapping Zero's wrists within one hand, he let the book drop to the floor and glared at the other boy.

"Let go! Let me go, fucking bastard!" Zero's struggles were foolish, even he knew this, being a mythology student he knew that vampires supposedly had 'super strength'.

Kaname was beginning to get _really _tired of that name. "Just calm down. And don't judge me on matters that don't concern you – you know nothing about me or the problems I burden."

Zero glared at the vampire. "I don't have to _know _you to understand your 'problems'. You think the world revolves around you when it doesn't! Hell, if you can't take _the pills _than just drink my fucking blood! If the existence of your race relies on this, go for it, just stop harping on about leaving."

Kaname was stunned. He released Zero's wrists and took a few steps back. "You, you would sacrifice your life source for-"

"Your race. Yeah. Why not?" Zero looked away, a faint blush tinting his cheeks.

"You would do such a thing? You're not being sarcastic? Even after everythi-"

"Shut up. Shut up, shut _up_. Before I change my mind," Zero said, closing his eyes. Jesus Christ, _he _didn't even know why he was doing this. This was crazy. Zero had never cared for anyone – let alone an entire _race_ – in his life, and yet now, he was practically throwing himself into a river of hungry piranhas to save vampires. Zero felt a small throbbing lump form inside his throat as anxiety took over. "…Do you… do you need it now?" he asked, still avoiding eye contact as he pulled down his shirt collar to expose his pale neck. "Just take what you need."

Kaname suddenly smirked, despite the seriousness of the matter. "Kiriyuu, if I _just took what I needed_ you would be drained dry, you idiot."

Zero let his collar go and glared at the damned vampire again. "Do you want it or not?"

"…Yes. But if I am to drink from you, I have to make a small incision. I can't just bite you, you would end up a vampire." Kaname eyed Zero's neck wearily.

"…Then do it," Zero ordered. No… not _ever _had he had such an urge to save something, and even if Kaname had drained him dry – like he'd said – Zero could find his peace with that. If that's what it took to keep the pureblood a sane pacifist, then okay, he'd be fine with it. But still, even Zero knew it was more complicated than that.

Kaname hesitated before letting one of his razor like nails trail a line down the other boy's neck. He frowned. His 'thought' returned and his frown deepened.

The existence itself of vampires was sad.

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I'm not quite happy with the end... but hey, I can go back to it later!

**Reviews are wonderful!**

~law-chan23


	7. Starving

A/N It looks like I'm finally beginning to get back on top of things back on FFN. Let's hope I can keep this up :\ I'll most likely update The Time Traveller next.. so look out for it (: Remember to kindly review anything of mine, I really need them at the moment (: All reviews are greatly appreciated!

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Starving**

Written by law-chan23

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_If vampires are deprived of blood for long enough, they are likely to go mad with hunger, attacking at anything that breathes in order to stay alive._

_--_

Yes, it was one fine, beautiful spring day at Cross University. The sky was blue, the sun was shining and small delicate birds flew about the campus chirping happily. Among the buildings and on the many winding walkways, students were flocking about in groups or pairs, chattering away animatedly as they went about their day attending classes, wooing girls, boys and having a joyous time indeed. Yes, one fine day indeed... and while this day transpired, Kaname Kuran, of pure blood nobility lay face flat on the tiled floor of his bathroom clad only in his favourite boxer shorts, which just happened to be the ones Yuuki had bought for him last Christmas. The _love heart_ patterned ones, coloured pink and white. Thank God he'd landed in such a secure and private place, otherwise his dignity would have been lost for good. However, as luck had it... Kaname Kuran, of nobility and of pure blood has failed to lock the door before collapsing, thus leaving one Zero Kiriyuu in a very awkward position.

Zero stood frozen, hand still clasping the door knob, staring at the sight before him.

Oh dear God in heaven.

The student coughed once, softly, trying to awaken the other boy discretely, but it was no use. The stupid vampire was out cold, lying in an ungraceful heap on the bathroom floor. Zero slapped a hand over his violated eyes and sighed. This was going to be humiliating, one way or the other. He threw the bathroom door open all the way as he rushed to the vampire's side. Quickly pressing his fingers into the juncture that met between Kaname's collarbone and neck, Zero felt around for a pulse. Finding that he did have one, Zero exhaled in a short moment of relief, before he realized that something was still very much wrong with the vampire, and he couldn't identify what. He couldn't contact emergency services, it would be obvious to uncover that he was a vampire. The big teeth kind of gave it away.

A groan made Zero jump and curse.

Kaname Kuran rose from his unconscious state and sat up, cradling his tile marked face in his pale hand.

"Hey," Zero said softly, moving his head around to see if there were any injuries to Kaname's head. "What the fuck happened to you?"

Kaname groaned again. "Fuck" was always a word he'd wanted to wake up to. "I uh, I must have had a fall," he lied. He drew his hand back from his face, feeling a faint wetness upon his fingers. Blood.

Zero got up at that moment and helped his roommate to sit onto the stool in the corner of the bathroom. "Hang here for a sec," he murmured, a frown of concern etched deep into his features. He then sought out a towel, which he then wet at the sink. "You've got a nick on your head," he remarked, returning with the damp towel to clean up the drying blood on the vampire's skin. "Nothing serious."

Kaname felt dizzy. "Thanks," he muttered, letting Zero tend to his cut. "It's going to stain..." he said, referring to the white terrycloth towel the university student was currently using to dispel the blood with.

Zero shrugged. "One less towel isn't going to stop the manufacturing of towels altogether," he mumbled as he finished cleaning the wound. "So what's wrong with you? As far as I remember you weren't drunk last night, or stoned."

Kaname made to smile, but began a coughing fit instead, clutching his stomach tightly in pain.

Zero threw the towel onto the floor and put both his hands on Kaname's shoulders, trying to calm him down. That was when he saw them. Kaname's red eyes. Zero stumbled back a few steps, suddenly finding himself afraid of him.

Kaname dry retched a couple of times before falling onto the floor again, chest heaving.

Zero fell backwards and his rear connected with the floor with a thud. He sat staring in horror, unable to move as Kaname's fit continued for a good ten minutes longer until the spasms died down and the vampire was left curled up on the floor, his breathing severely laboured.

"K – Kuran?" Zero whispered after a while. He managed to scoot across the floor over to his twitching companion. He touched the damp brown hair on Kaname's head and bit his lip.

A low hum began, which soon increased to a deep growl, and Zero realized too late that it had been coming from Kaname.

In less than a second, the shuddering mass had given birth to a ravenous beast that had Zero underneath it and pinned helplessly to the floor.

Zero thrashed in Kaname's strong grip fervently, utterly terrified. "What the fuck are you doing, Kuran?! Stop!"

Kaname, eyes glazed crimson licked his lips and exposed his sharp fangs. He hissed delightedly at his squirming prey beneath him as he began leaning down to that pale, virgin neck of his victim, scraping his teeth lightly against the skin's surface before biting down brutally, breaking the last barrier between him and his sweet life source.

Zero's eyes opened wide and he opened his mouth, screaming silently.

--

_Zero found himself in a field of flourishing white roses. He crept quietly through the field, wondering where all the people were._

"_Hello?" he called out into the silence, his voice echoing through the field. _

_A giggle._

_Zero swung around, but the giggle silenced itself. Treading warily, Zero continued through the countless white rose bushes until he heard yet another giggle erupt from nowhere and froze._

"_Who's there?" he shouted, turning in a circle, struggling to see who it was that was laughing at him. "Come out!"_

_Another giggle and Zero turned again, finding a child version bearing a striking resemblance to himself, smirking at him from behind._

"_Who are you?" Zero demanded, taken aback by the clawing familiarity of the child._

_The child feigned a hurt expression. "Oh. You don't even remember the face of your own twin brother? How disconcerting..." he said in a voice far too mature to match his boyish physique. "Ichiru. My name is Ichiru. Ring any bells, brother?"_

_Zero suddenly found himself remembering everything from before the night Cross had found him hiding in the snow. He recalled the slaying of his parents, the betrayal of his own brother... and the bite inflicted on him by a crazed pureblood vampire, out for revenge. Impulsively, Zero reached up and touched the side of his neck that donned his distinguishing black tattoo. He recoiled slightly at the sudden sensitivity he discovered there as he brushed his fingers up against the skin. Zero shuddered._

_The smaller version of Ichiru smirked mischievously and started to clap his hands. "Ah good. Now you remember. I guess that along with completing the transition, your memory re-establishes itself in your mind, correct?"_

_Zero glared hatefully at his brother. "Why are you here?" he seethed, eyes darkening dangerously._

_Ichiru's smirk broadened as he begun to approach his brother. "Why?" he mimicked._

"_Don't come near me," Zero spat, trying to step backwards, but found that he couldn't. "What have you done to me, Ichiru? Why can't I move?"_

_Ichiru didn't answer. Standing on his toes, Ichiru whispered into his brother's ear, "You're one of us now, aren't you glad?" He then kissed his brother before disappearing, and Zero was left alone in the field, insane giggles resounding around him as the white roses began to drip with blood..._

_--_

Sight fading from his eyes, the last thing Zero remembered was Yagari Touga carrying his giant-ass gun into the bathroom.

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**A/N Review review review!**

**P.S All will be revealed about this utterly confusing chapter in the next installment :D**

**Thanks for reading!!!  
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